Daraja

September the 11th

Gender and reproductive health.

Today was the day we visited the circumciser. After the film yesterday evening I couldn't make my self to look at her. I was really irritated that I had to be there. I wouldn't have missed it for the world but I still felt the child in me rebelling. She looked exactly the same as the birth attendants. I asked her what is the purpose of circumcising the women and she actually couldn't answer my question, other than it was done for generations. I asked if she or others in the community consider uncircumcised girls as unclean. Yes she does, but if her granddaughters will not be circumcised it will be OK. She means that the girls go through it because the Masai men want to marry only circumcised women. Our guide and translator was a young Masai man and we immediately asked him about that. He seems believably sincere when he says that he, when is time to choose a wife will not be interested if she is circumcised or not. A lot of young men at his age mean that women's circumcision serves no purpose other then hurt the girls and make them vulnerable for diseases and complications in child birth. But there are also those who are more conservative.

The circumciser informs us that her children don't agree with her line of work and she will gladly do something else to make a living. She also says that she doesn't force the girls to get circumcised if they don't want to, no matter what the parents want. We, and especially I, have big problems believing her. On the other hand, I have no reason not to believe her. I just want my doubt to last because I don't want to warm up to her. And despite the fact that I wish to be unmoved and condemning, I do warm up to her. I do like her personality, her appearance, her attempt to keep up the traditions, which in a way means her identity. She thinks that things will never change but I think she means while she lives because at the same time she's saying that her children will not circumcise their children. There is also an organised group of community health workers which are volunteering to talk to families about the risks involved in circumcising women. And it seems like they have some success.

Circumciser, community health worker and traditional birth attendant.

But a little bit of history regarding women’s circumcision: this has been practised for thousands of years and it says to be originating from Egypt, from the faro’s period. This tradition can be both cultural or religiously based and today is practised in more than 28 African countries, mostly in Somalia, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Amnesty International estimates that there are more then 130 million women circumcised in the world and about 2 mill. are circumcised every year.

According to the Kenyan Demographic and Health Survey of 2008 and 2009, Kenya's national FGM(Female Genital Mutilation) rate stands at 27%.

A circumciser makes use of knifes, razor blades, scissors, with or without local anaesthetic. More than one girl is usually circumcised with the same instruments.

There are 3 types of women's circumcision. Type I or sunna implies that the clitoral hood and inner labia are removed. Type II or excision: total or partial removal of the clitoris, with or without removing the inner labia. Type III or infibulation or faro circumcision: removing of whole clitoris, inner labia and partial removing the outer labia. The vulva is closed in a way that only a small hole is left for passage of urine and menstrual blood. Intercourse is impossible without the opening of the wound which is usually done by the husband on the wedding night.

It's estimated that about 15% of the circumcisions are of type III.

Actually in some western countries circumcision type I was limitedly practised of medical reasons in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. It was always performed by a doctor.

Evidence indicates that sexual performance challenges are what drove men to "tame" female libido and reduce promiscuity.

The practice causes severe bleeding and is linked to many health issues, including cysts, chronicle pain, infections, infertility, fatal bleeding as well as complications during childbirth. There are no known health benefits.

But not everything was so serious. We had also a lot of fun trying to learn Swahili and there had been arranged a cultural evening for us with traditional Masai dance.

Young Masai warriors dancing.

Lala salama Denmark, ninakupenda :-*